In Nepal, the killing of a cow is illegal and equates to manslaughter. For a Hindu vet to kill a cow, they are not only risking being charged as a criminal, their religion regards them as a heinous sinner. Yet, one brave Nepalese vet faced with a decision to end suffering in a cow with terrible injuries from the earthquake, against his law and religion, did what he thought was morally and professionally correct (Chand 2015).

For Australian veterinarians opposing live export, we have it very easy…..we can do this legally and all we have to fear are our peers' opinions…! We are humbled by the actions of our Nepalese colleague, Dr Rakesh Chand.